Flowers For Hitomi
by Umi-Chan
Summary: Millerna is found and Hitomi is given the chance to go home. Will this be goodbye ro will Hitomi stay with Van?
1. Default Chapter

# Flowers For Hitmomi

By ~ Careo

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Escaflowne characters or the show or anything used in the show such as weird places and weird names.

PART I

The organ played so loud that the walls of the church began to shake.Each pane in the stain glass windows sang out a note all of its own as it shook in its own little space.The air around Hitomi's ears vibrated so hard against her head that she had to restrain herself from running out of the church with her hands over her ears.But she knew that it would offend everyone, and besides, she was the maid of honor.

Van was standing on the other side of Allen and looked like he was thinking the same thing as Hitomi, but he stayed put too.After what seemed like forever the music stopped and silence flooded the sanctuary.To Hitomi, it was even more beautiful than the organ music had been.Then Father Mason began the service.He had been instructed by Allen to keep the ceremony short and he did.In no time Allen was leading Millerna down the isle and out into the sunshine with Hitomi, Van, and Merle following.

Outside waited two coaches, one for Allen and Millerna, which had been draped with white fabric, even against their wishes.The second coach was undecorated and was intended for the other guests of the wedding party, who were Hitomi, Van and Merle.The ride back to the inn was a bumpy one.Hitomi held onto the small coach window and Merle held onto Van as he did his best to brace himself with his feet so that he wouldn't look like he had to hold onto anything.Hitomi let out a sigh of relief when they reached the Golden Dawn, the inn where they had rooms.

"I miss streets," Merle wined as they all shook off the effect of the short journey across the small country town.Hitomi looked at the mud paths that were used as the village's roads.She nodded in agreement she missed paved roads too.

"Well, let's move up to our rooms now."Allen said as he led Millerna into the inn.Everyone trailed along behind.The common of the inn was filled with burly farm men, throwing dice and relaxing from the days work.One man in particular caught Hitomi's eye as they passed through the noisy room.He had been sitting in that same spot when they had left, and that had been over an hour ago.She had seen him then too.He stood out among the musclely farmers, he was skinny and looked as if he were wasting away with a sickness, his cheeks pale and caved in.The other men in the room had beards and hair that fell into their eyes while this man looked to be clean-shaven and had no hair what- so- ever.The thing that stood out most in Hitomi's mind was the red scar that ran down his head.It started at the crown of his head and ran to his chin, cutting over his left eye.It was blood red, it almost looked like a freshly healed cut, and stood out plain as day against the man's white skin.

They all climbed the stairs and followed Allen and Millerna to the room they would be sharing.When they had checked in the day before, they had gotten two rooms, one for the girls and one for the boys.Since the wedding though, Van had given up his spot in the room he shared with Allen so that he could be with his bride. The door that joined the rooms had been opened to let in fresh air from the window in the girl's room.Placed all around the room were pots and vases filled with purple irises that Millerna had ordered the day before from the village's one florist.The aroma from the flowers filled the room and sent Hitomi's mind spinning so that she almost forgot about the dull ache that had invaded her chest earlier that morning.

"Throw your bouquet!Throw it! Throw it…" Merle sang as she danced around Millerna's feet.Millerna smiled down at Merle and pointed to the other side of the room.

"Ok, but you have to go and stand over there."Merle scampered to where she was told and ended up standing only three feet farther away from Millerna than she had been."Hitomi," Millerna said, still pointing at where Merle was standing, "you have to go and stand over there too."

Hitomi looked up at Millerna and stammered, "No I couldn't really I…"

"Nonsense," Millerna cut in, "now go and stand next to Merle."Merle crossed her arms and gave Hitomi a look that dared her not to move.For a moment the visions of what Merle would do if she didn't move glued her to the floor, but she soon freed herself form them and stood next to Merle who was now singing a song about some brave warrior cat who was so fast no one could ever catch him.

Then Millerna's bouquet of fresh picked wild purple irises with one creamy yellow wild rose in the center was flying through the air strait for Hitomi's heart.Visions of her wedding day floated through her mind, how perfect it would be.Slowly, her arms reached fro the bouquet when Merle jumped and grabbed it almost right out of Hitomi's hands.Hitomi's heart sank a little deeper and the dull ache in her chest became a little sharper.

Merle squealed with delight and pressed her nose into the flowers.Then she ran over to Van and snaked her arm through his."Van-sama," she cooed, looking up at Van with her best version of moon-eyes, "will you marry me?"

Millerna and Allen chuckled softly but all Hitomi could do was smile.The pain in her chest sharpening again.Van looked down at Merle and smiled, "No, I don't think this is the right time for that."He managed to pry his arm away from her and walked over to stand next to Hitomi.

Millerna grabbed Allen's hand and announced, "We are going out on a carriage ride in the country," Allen shook his head no but he didn't object to going with her, "would any of you like to join us?"

Merle placed her flowers in an empty pot and danced over to Millerna, "I would!" She yelled.Hitomi and Van both shook their heads no and the three went out the door and into one of the coaches that was waiting outside.Millerna had fallen in love with the wild flower covered mountain faces when she had first laid eyes on them.She had taken every chance to go out and see them and she would take anyone who would come along.

Van and Hitomi stood in silence for a few moments before Van broke it."Well, I think that I'm going to go and take a nap," he began to walk to the other room."What about you?"

Hitomi had been drifting in her thoughts; the question from Van snapped her out of them. "Wha-?Oh, I think I'll go down to the market place, look around a little.I'll be back in a little while."Van looked as though he didn't like the idea of her going out alone and was about to say something about it when Hitomi cut him off, "I'll wake you up when I get back ok?"He nodded and went into his room to sleep.

Hitomi grabbed a little bag that she had been using as a purse and went down and out of the inn.The walk was a short one, it was a small village.The rest of the village was empty compared to the bustle that was going on in the market place.People were everywhere, and they were selling things that looked like the vender had traveled far and wide to come to this nowhere place.Each vender's voice was louder than the last, Hitomi almost covered her ears, but she didn't.She wandered around for what seemed like only a few minutes, but when she glanced at her watch she was shocked to see that she had been gone for 45 minutes._AH!I hope Van isn't awake yet…_ She thought as she struggled with the large crowed.Just as she got past the last both did she see him, the white man with the scar that ran down his face.And this time she was positive that she was looking at her.

He took a step forward and held out his hand, "Miss Hitomi, allow me to introduce myself…" Hitomi didn't wait around to hear what else he was going to say, she took off run to the inn.Hitomi was sure that if Amano had been there to see her run like that, he would have been proud.

Hitomi burst into the inn and sprinted up the stairs to her room.She almost kicked the room door in, and slammed it behind her.Van was on his feet, sword in hand with a look of surprise of his face."I…um…sorry, you woke me up and I didn't know who it was…" he stammered.Hitomi smiled, he was cute when he was still sleepy.

She smiled at him, "I'm back now."They both laughed.Van put his sword away and put on a shirt.Then they went into the other room and sat on the windowsill and looked out over the city.Small, flickering lights was all that lighted the night.The stars shone as bright as anything and the full moon lit up the small bit of earth for them.

"So how was your trip to the market?"Van asked after they had been sitting for a while.Hitomi only then remembered the strange man with the scar who knew where she was staying.She told him the whole story as fast as she could.Van just sat there, taking it all in as it came to him."I guess we should find the others and start running, if they've found us again."Hitomi's heart sank, she had grown tried of always being on guard, always being ready to run.She wanted to stay in one place for more than a day or two.

Hitomi sighed, "But how are we going to find them?It's not like they told us which mountain they were going to."She waved her hand out of the open window and pointed to the mountains that protected the valley the village was in."And if the guy found us here, he can find us anywhere."Hitomi rested her head on her knees and wished with all her heart to be home.Just anywhere but here.

Van gently rubbed her back."Don't worry, we'll find someway to shake him.We'll get away and then we can stay in the towns we end up in for more than just a day at a time."Hitomi looked up at Van, had he read her mind?The moonlight glinted off his black hair and his eyes glittered."It'll all be ok, I promise."He smiled down at her and rested his head on her back.They sat there until the others got back from their trip, which was close to dawn.

Merle was the first in the room.She bounded over to where Hitomi and Van had fallen asleep on each other and yelled, "Hey wake up you two!It's time to go and have breakfast!"Hitomi jumped so hard that she almost fell out of the window.But Van grabbed her before she was able to go too far down.Once everyone had changed, they all piled down into the common room for breakfast.It was served to them on the inn's finest dishes, they looked like sliver platters but were probably something a lot cheaper.Plate after plate after plate was served to them until they couldn't eat another bite.They all ordered some after breakfast vino and sat sipping it as they talked about what they had done the night before.

Millerna told about how the night had come on so quickly and how the mountain air had just enchanted them so much that they had to stay the night.Merle eagerly joined in the telling of the story.While Allen sat back, not saying a word and making it clear to Hitomi and Van that the mountain air had not enchanted him so much that he would want to spend the night.Millerna and Merle went on about how the night sparkled and the town's lights looked like only a candle on the horizon and these strange balls of light that had awakened them close to dawn.

Millerna looked keenly at Hitomi, like she might give her an answer to some unasked question."Hitomi, when those balls of light came and woke us up, I had this feeling in my stomach that something was wrong.I sat up and tried to think about what in the world could be wrong in such a little hidden place like this and the first thing that came to mind was you and Van here alone in the inn."Millerna's eyes took on an inquisitive glimmer as she leaned across the table to get closer to Hitomi."Tell me, did anything strange happen to you or Van last night?"

Van kicked Hitomi under the table, it was their signal, the whole group knew what it meant, to tell her all that she wanted to know."Well…now that you mention it, something weird did happen to me in the market place when I went out…"Hitomi told the story as casually as she could in a room full of men who might want to kill them all.When she was done Merle had stopped eating, Allen had his elbows on the table, something he rarely did and Millerna had an almost triumphant look on her face.

Merle glanced around the common room, "I think I want to leave this place now…" she said quietly.Millerna smiled at the almost trembling Merle.Hitomi felt sorry for the poor cat girl, she had never been this scared by the thought of danger before.

Allen leaned back in his chair and tried to relax himself, "I say we leave here as soon as we can and keep running.If he is a threat then we've left him behind us, and if he isn't well then, we still have lost him."

Millerna rested her forehead on the palm of her hand and sighed."Allen, now that he has made himself known to us, don't you think he'd find it a bit strange that we ran the second after?"Allen made a move to speak but Millerna cut him off with a glare, "And if he is after us then he would know that we are running and if he could find us here, think of where he could find us next."Van nodded in agreement and got a glare from Allen.

"But he knows something's strange already.Hitomi ran from him in the market.If you were a person and walked up to someone and said hello and they ran away, what you think about them?"Allen said, fixing Millerna with his best blank faced stare.

Millerna smiled, "I would think that they were very rude and that I should never speak with them again."Allen slapped his forehead with his glass of wine, dribbling a little on his black pants.He swung his long blonde hair in frustration with Millerna and groaned under his breath.

"You don't think like a man Millerna, had that happened to me, I would be all the more interested in the person and I would follow them with more care and determination than I had to begin with."He finished with a flourish that sent wine sloshing over the top of his glass and onto the wood floor.

Millerna punched Allen playfully, causing him to almost choke on his wine."And that is exactly why we should not run."Everyone at the table looked at Millerna like she was crazy.And then Hitomi got it.She smiled and wanted to laugh out loud at how slow men where that she thought she would burst from it before the men caught up to them.Allen gave Millerna a questioning look."Allen dear, you just said that if a girl had run away from you in the market when you tried to introduce yourself to her would only make you want to follow her more, right?"Allen nodded slowly, still not comprehending what Millerna was driving at."Well, let's say that you did follow her and when you asked about her in the inn where you know she was staying and they said that she checked out the day after you had talked to her, wouldn't you ask everyone in town where she had gone to so that you could continue to follow her?"Allen nodded again, Van sat in his chair and listened with a confused air about him."Wouldn't think that there must be some reason that she was running away from you like that and wouldn't you want to find out what that reason was, at almost any cost to you or the girl you happened to be following?"Allen nodded again…and then his eyes lit up with a look of knowing as everything that Millerna had said clicked into place.Van figured it out at the same time.

"I suppose you do have a point Millerna," Allen said slowly.Van nodded and Hitomi just smiled.Hitomi never quite understood Millerna's way of dealing with men. Whenever Millerna went up in a debate against Van or Allen, she always won.Millerna gave Hitomi a little smile to show that she would keep on winning, even if she had to beat her side of the debate into her opposition.

"So I suppose that we'll be staying here for a while longer?"Hitomi asked anyone at the table who cared to answer.Millerna nodded and stuck her tongue out at Allen.Hitomi settled back into her chair, she was hoping they wouldn't have to leave the cute little valley town so soon.

Merle coughed softly and blushed a little."Um...sorry but…I'm lost."She smiled weakly at Van while the rest of the table erupted in fits of laughter.Merle turned an even brighter shade of red and scowled at them.It didn't do much good though, it just made her look funnier, which made them all laugh even harder.Everyone was stressed, looking over your shoulder and watching out for the other people in the group that you came with was hard to do when you also had to look where you were walking.

That night, while everyone was bed Hitomi walked to the window and stood leaning on the sill, just looking out at the town below her.It's so peaceful, she thought.Hitomi wished that her spirits would calm down so that she could go to sleep.A cat meowed loudly in the alley next to the inn, and then the cat began to hiss loudly.The sound of boards falling is what really grabbed Hitomi's attention from her thoughts.A man so white he almost glowed in the dark stepped out of the alley and into the street.Hitomi pulled back on reflex when she realized that it was the man from the market.She didn't move but still looked down at the street where the man was standing.He looked back at the alley, up at her window for a moment, Hitomi would have sworn that he smiled in such a way that it made her bones shiver, and then looked at the western horizon.Hitomi glanced up to see a black dot flying in the air and slowly land on one of the rock faces.The man in the street jumped and ran faster than Hitomi thought anyone could run toward the place where the black dot had landed.Hitomi stood frozen to the wall for a few minutes afterward, her eyes locked on the spot where the white man had been standing only a few minutes earlier.

"Hitomi?"Van was sitting up in his bed, rubbing one of his eyes with the back of his hand."What are you doing up?"He got out of bed and came over to look out the window with her.The almost full moon glinted off every flat surface of Van's body.He almost seemed to glimmer in the dim light.He must have had another nightmare and that was what woke him up, Hitomi thought slowly.She reached out and rubbed his back like he had rubbed hers the day before.He turned and smiled at her, "I had another dream…"

Hitomi placed a finger across his lips, "Shush now.You can't tell me a dream without having breakfast first or else it will come true."Van smile underneath her finger."And besides, look at how late it is.You need to get back into bed and so do I."She shooed Van along in front of her.He climbed in his bed and she tucked him in it with care to be sure that he was comfortable.Then she sat on his bed and smiled down at him as he began to fall asleep again."I promise that you won't have another bad dream again for the rest of the night."She whispered as she leaned down and gave him a kiss on his forehead, and he smiled at her from behind a curtain of sleep. Hitomi got into her own bed and snuggled down into it, comforted by the memories of Van flying down to rescue her.


	2. Part 2

Flowers For Hitmomi  
By ~ Umi-Chan  
  


  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Escaflowne characters or the show or anything used in the show such as weird places and weird names.  
  
  
  


PART II  


  
  
  
The noise from the songbirds that had made their nests along the side of inn floated through the room's open window and shook Hitomi out of sleep. She got out of bed and stretched, knuckling the small of her back. She walked over to the window and leaned out to let the soft breeze rustle her short brown hair. The night shift that Millerna had given her was made of soft thin fabric that let the breeze take away the sweat from the night spent under the wool blanket. Sounds of life squeezed under the connecting door of the two rooms and drew Hitomi to it. She carefully opened the door and peeked in to see a table all set for breakfast with…no one around it. Sounds of laughter and voices that Hitomi knew filled the room, but she didn't see anyone, not even a ghost like figure of a person. Hesitantly, Hitomi stepped into the room and the noise became almost deafening, Hitomi covered her ears and began to scream. The voices grew and began to swirl around Hitomi, she screamed and the voices got louder and louder and louder until…  
  
"Hitomi!! Hitomi wake up!!" Van's voice cut through the noise like a knife. The blackness that had seemed like sunlight was spilt down the center and Hitomi's slowly opened to the wooden ceiling of the inn. "Hitomi, are you ok?" Merle was poking her head out from behind Van as he stood over Hitomi, the concern showing in his eyes.  
  
Hitomi sat up and pressed her hand against her sweaty forehead. "We heard you scream from all the way in the other room. Even with the door shut." Merle yelled as she bounded to Hitomi's bedside. "What happened?" Merle's tail twitched with curiosity as she stared deeply into Hitomi's eyes. Hitomi giggled at the serious look that covered Merle's face. With the way that she was always laughing and running around after van, it just didn't seem like the kind of look Merle should have. Merle now looked puzzled and confused.  
  
"I had a dream…" Hitomi ran the back on her hand across her forehead again remembering how empty the room had been and how loud the voices had gotten at the end. She thought she could remember bits and pieces of what they had been yelling. But since she couldn't be sure she told herself sternly not to think about it too hard. "But it's over now." Van stood over her; almost like a guardian angel and the look on his face plainly that he didn't believe her. But knowing him he wouldn't say anything until everyone else was out of the room. "It's better now tough, thank you all for coming in here…if you all don't mind I'd like to try and get a little more sleep before the day really starts." Millerna tugged at Allen's arm and smiled at Hitomi. Merle followed, still looking very confused by the way that Hitomi had acted.   
  
Van sat down on the side of Hitomi's bed once they had all left. "What did you dream about?" Hitomi looked at the sheets that were slightly damp and stretched so tightly across her legs that you could see them through the thin white. "And don't try to give me any of that, you don't need to worry stuff. People don't scream like that just because they had a bad dream." He sighed and looked out the window. "I should know all about that." Van said the last so softly that Hitomi had to strain to catch what he had said. He stared out the window a while longer and then focused all of his attention back on Hitomi. "Besides, if you have a bad dream, it's got to mean something."  
  
Hitomi looked pleadingly up at Van, even if he was the only one in the room she still didn't want to tell anyone about her dream. The reason for her uneasiness evaded her; it slipped out of her thoughts and into the darker places of her mind, the places where Hitomi couldn't follow it. She looked blankly up at Van, stumbling around in her mind for a reason not to tell her dream to Van but he kept staring at her, almost willing her to tell him all of it. "Um…there were flowers and some little pink bunnies running around in small green shorts and bright yellow vests…"  
  
Van smiled and laughed softly. "Then why did you scream the way that you did?" Van crossed his arms and gave Hitomi his best, 'beat that one' look.  
  
"The shorts were daisy dukes and they were riding up on the bunnies. That alone would make even a grown man scream." Hitomi mumbled from under her sweat soaked sheets. She shoot a look at Van that made him laugh so loud that Merle stuck her head in the connecting door to see what was wrong. After she had made sure that everything was all right, she withdrew into the other room.  
  
Van squinted down at Hitomi huddling under her sheets. What was she hiding from him? He knew that Hitomi wasn't telling him something because she had the classic 'please let him take that lame excuse and leave me alone' look on her face. "Why won't you tell me about your dream?" He asked her. She closed her eyes and let out a slow deep felt sigh.  
  
"Because when I have nightmares they always mean something." She rolled onto her side and stared out at the clear blue sky wishing that she could be so care free as a cloud. "I am so scared even to think about what it might mean." Hitomi let out another huge sigh and rolled back onto her back.  
  
"Oh, well that makes sense. Should have just said that to start with." Van joked, playfully punching Hitomi on her shoulder. She smiled up at him, it made her feel good to know that she had someone she felt comfortable talking about that kind of stuff with. "Want to go out to the market place?" He asked.  
  
"Sure, let me get dressed." Hitomi rolled out of bed and threw on her school skirt and a jacket and was standing in front of Van ready to go in only about a minute or two. "Let's go." Van stood and to make sure that they didn't bother Millerna, Allen, and Merle, the pair snuck out of the door that connected the girl's room to the hallway. Once out in the hall they ran down into the common room and out the front door into the street.  
  
*~*  
  
Merle stuck her head in through the connecting door again. It had been much too quiet in there since she had last heard anything. No one here, ok then. Merle turned back into the room to go and sit with Millerna, who was seated and doing her needlepoint. Wait a minute, NO ONE THERE!? Merle stopped in her tracks and went back to check and see if she had seen nothing like she thought she had. When she looked again the room was still empty. "Allen and Millerna," Merle said as calmly as she could, "Where could Van and Hitomi gotten to because they are not in the other room like they should be." Millerna and Allen were on their feet and in the next room with in the next 15 seconds or so.  
  
"Where could they have gone?" Allen mused standing next to the window. He never would have told anyone but he was standing there because he was hoping that they would happen to walk below him so that he could be the hero that he thought Millerna expected him to be. No such luck came to him though and he stood there, looking kind of like a model for a painting and hoping against hope that he wouldn't have to go out and search all over the city for them like he knew Millerna would want him to.  
  
"Allen, you search the city," Millerna yelled at the top of her lungs, she always talked too loud when she got nervous about something and not knowing where Van and Hitomi was making her a little more than just nervous. "Merle, you check the market place and I will stay here in case they come back." She flopped down on a bed and looked as if she might cry. Allen made a move to go and comfort her but stood still waiting for her to say something. Merle didn't even so much as flick her tail, she knew when to stand her ground and since she had never seen Millerna like this she figured that it would be wise not to provoke any out-bursts. Millerna looked up at them and shouted, "Why are you standing around here for? GET OUT THERE AND FIND THEM!!!!" Merle and Allen ran for the door, almost knocking each other down. Allen held the door long enough for Merle to make it out and he was out right after her.  
  
"Where could you two be?" Millerna whined under her breath. Then she curled up on one of the beds and softly began to cry as she thought about all that could be happening to Van and Hitomi, wherever they were.  
  
*~*  
  
Allen charged out onto the dirt road and turned left down the alleyway next to the inn on a whim. He had no idea where to start looking so he figured that he would just do what his gut told him to. He walked around the dirty and narrow streets of the valley town for a while until his gut told him to stop at the tavern and rest his feet for a while.  
  
*~*  
  
Merle walked down the streets as calmly as she could. Inside she was torn up with panic, so scared that she couldn't think strait. None of that showed as she walked to the center of the town and to the market where she would franticly look for Van-sama and bring him back safely to the inn where she would lock him on the closet so that she would know where he was at all times.  
  
The number of horse drawn wagons increased as she neared the market place. The noise reached her sensitive ears before she rounded the corner and was standing in the thick of it. Merle had failed to ever notice how many people were in the market place on her other trips there, maybe that was because she wasn't looking for someone who was a king and had suddenly turned up missing one morning. The vender next to Merle's ear started to yell something about fresh pears at the top of his lungs into the dim roar that was the market place. She slowly began to pick her way along the isles of vendors making sure to look everywhere at once for a glimpse of either Hitomi or Van. She hoped that he would have lost Hitomi so that she could take him strait back to the inn and not have to fight with Hitomi about putting Van in the closet like she wanted to.  
  
The crowds didn't help Merle at all. They all seemed to be aimed strait for her, and most of them hit. Hard too. Merle walked around the market looking as many ways that she could at once for a long time, so long that she couldn't think of how long she had been looking. She began to sniffle from the dust that had gone up her nose and the frustration that was building inside of her at not finding Van-sama. Tears began to well up in her eyes and spill over onto the soft fur of her face. Small rivers on her cheeks soon formed and were covered in the dust that was being kicked up around her. "Van-sama, where are you?" She whispered to herself. She wanted to run but the lack of space in the market wouldn't let her. As Merle kept on through the crowds her frustration became worse and worse until she had to duck into an alleyway and sit with her head on her knees sobbing.  
  
"Merle? What are you doing here?" A voice said close to her ears. She looked pup slowly, still crying, into the somewhat dusty face of Van-sama. He looked so concerned; she wondered why she hadn't tried sitting still and crying to start with.  
  
"VAN-SAMA!!!!" Merle practically screamed as she lunged for Van-sama's neck and clung to him harder than she ever had before. Van was hurled backward into the street and almost instantly started to turn purple. Hitomi jumped to the side just in time to see all of this.  
  
"Merle, you need to let go of him," Van began pulling as gently as he could on Merle's arms. "Merle, you are gonna' kill him." Van began to pull harder on Merle's arms. "MERLE!" Hitomi yelled at the cat girl, Merle's head snapped in Hitomi's direction. "You need to let go. Van's face is turning blue." Merle looked at Van-sama's face and almost started to cry again. She let go slowly and Van dragged himself away from Merle and leaned on Hitomi's leg.  
  
"Thank you both," he gasped as he tried to get his breath back. Hitomi laid a hand on his head and asked if he would be ok. Van looked up and smiled, "Yea, I think so." They stood there smiling at each other while Merle sat in the dirt a little ways off with her tail standing strait in the air and tears spilling down her face again.  
  
"Van-sama, I thought you were lost and that I would never see you again and that…" Merle's tail curled down to her body as she put her head in her hands and began to sob again. Van got up and walked over to Merle. He placed his hand on her shoulder and leaned down next to her ear.  
  
"Let's go back to the inn ok?" He said, lifting Merle to her feet by her armpits and then swinging the still sobbing Merle onto his back. He walked up to Hitomi and smiled, and they set off back to the inn together.  
  
  
  



	3. Part 3

Flowers For Hitmomi

Flowers For Hitmomi

By ~ Umi-Chan

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Escaflowne characters or the show or anything used in the show such as weird places and weird names.

PART III

Allen staggered out onto the street.He had spent a few hours in the tavern, resting his feet and spending some quality time with the villagers.He hiccupped and chuckled as he walked in a serpentine line to the inn. Allen walked down the ally next to the inn and turned the corner where he bumped head first into Hitomi.

"Excuse me," Hitomi said as she turned on her heel to face Allen, "But what do you think…" She trailed off and stared in amazement at Allen's face.His eyes were glazed over and half closed.He swayed as he stood and looked around as if he were lost or something.

Allen gave Hitomi a lopsided smile and waved at her."Hello, Hit *hiccup* omi, did you and *hiccup*, Van have a nice time where *hiccup* ever you tow went today?"Allen laughed and almost fell over.He caught himself on the wall of the inn though and stayed on his feet.

Van came up next to Hitomi and almost choked on the air he was breathing."Is that Allen?Our Allen?"He mumbled to himself.Merle began to giggle from her perch on Van's back.Hitomi stood and shook her head as Allen attempted to walk into the inn on his own.

"I think our knight in shining armor has had a little too much to drink at the local pub."Hitomi said as she turned to face Van."Merle, why don't you get down so that Van can help Allen?"Merle nodded and slid off of Van's back and walked into the inn with her nose in the air.

Van slipped one of Allen's arms over his neck and Hitomi got the other one.Together the three of them walked into the common room of the inn.Every head in the place turned to stare at them, Allen waved and began to make some sort of victory speech but he was beginning to fall asleep and his words were slurred so that no one could understand him at all.Once they were up the steps, they could hear the common room come to life and the laughter followed them up to their rooms.

Merle had left the girls room door ajar so Van kicked it a little so that they could get Allen into a bed as soon as they could.In side, Merle was sitting on Hitomi's bed, a yellowed and tattered piece of paper in her hands that were shaking.She looked up as Van and Hitomi carried in a now singing Allen, with tears in her eyes.

"What's wrong Merle?"Van asked once Allen was lying comfortably on a bed.Merle handed him the sheet of paper and then rested her face in the palms of her hands.Van rubbed the cat girl's shaking back and read the note out loud."If you ever want to see your friend again, leaving 20 box tops from your favorite cereal with the man at the front desk.You will receive further instructions when I get the box tops.Signed, Lucky the leprechaun."Van wrinkled his nose and looked at Hitomi in confusion.

Merle looked up at Van, tears had formed paths down her cheeks."What does it _mean_ Van-sama?"She began to sob again, mainly from the fact that she had had a very stressful day and it was all beginning to hit her at the same time.Van reassuringly rubbed her shoulders and looked at Hitomi hopefully.She was from the mystic moon after all, maybe she could figure out what the note meant.

Hitomi stood and walked to the window and looked out."Where are we supposed to get box tops?They don't have any breakfast cereals here at all.They don't even have boxes yet."She sighed and leaned up against the side of the window.Van came up next to her and patted her back.

"Do you know what it means?"He asked, the hope in his eyes almost made them glow in the dimly lit room.

Hitomi looked at him and smiled, "Yes I do but I don't know how we are supposed to get box tops."Van smiled hopefully and brushed some of Hitomi's hair out of her face.

"You'll find a way, you always have before."He said softly.

"What do you mean by, 'you'."She demanded."Are you not going to help me at all?!"She almost yelled.Van shrank away from her and put his hands up to calm her down.

"Hitomi, how can I help if I don't even know what box tops _are_?"He said soothingly, trying his best to calm her.He was a dragon slayer for heavens sake, not a woman tamer.

Hitomi stopped and thought about this."I guess your right."She sighed, it seemed that they had reached a dead end.Visions of Millerna being slowly tortured to death filled Hitomi's mind and made her want to cry but she held it in and looked Van straight in the eye."The only other plan I can think up is to go and ask the man at the front desk if a strange man left any instructions for people with box tops."

Hitomi turned and marched out of the room.Van stood by the window in puzzlement and Merle sat sniffling, staring at the room's door.A moment passed before Hitomi came back into the room."Ok, Van come with me and bring your sword and Merle, please stay here and watch over Allen."She sighed and got ready to mach back out into the hallway."Alright, let's go."

Van followed her into the hall this time and the two of them walked back down into the common room and up to the desk of the owner.Van drew his sword and pointed it at the man's throat with the tip resting against the skin.The man froze and turned deathly white."You can have anything you want, anything…really, I mean it."The man stammered.

Hitomi hit her forehead with her palm and sighed._This is not happening, it is all a bad dream, it is not happening to me.Not now, that is not Van, he has been possessed by some evil spirit and it is controlling him.Just please; do not let this be happening to me right now._When she opened her eyes, the innkeeper was shoving gold coins at Van and ordering the serving girls to go and get the safe out of the hiding place.Van looked panicked and was staring at Hitomi, hoping for a way out.

Hitomi leaped and grabbed the sword from Van."How in the hell did you get this away from me you little mongrel?!"She screamed.She has the attention of everyone in the common room now, not exactly what she had been hoping for but she would have to find a way pout of this for the both of them."I told you that you are not allowed to handle this yet."She leaned on the sword like a cane and turned to the white innkeeper."I am so sorry about that.He is so much taller than the average 12 year old, you'd be amazed at what he can get away with."She shot Van a look that said, ' play along or I will kill you very slowly when we are done with this'.Van took the hint and began to act in the way he thought a normal 12 year old would act."He loves to get his father's sword and pretend to be a robber."Hitomi laughed as Van went over to a huge looking man with kind eyes and tried to get his sword out of the man holster.Soon the whole common room was laughing.

"What I came down here for was to ask you a question."The now smiling innkeeper nodded and looked very ready to supply an answer."We found a strange not in our room that asked for 20 of a thing called 'box tops', whatever they are.It said to leave them with you and we would get some instructions."Hitomi looked hopefully at the innkeeper._Please have something that will help me…oh please oh please oh please…_

"Why yes, " The man said as he reached under the counter."I remember the man.A strange looking fellow if I do say so myself.He walked out with a lady that was so beautiful…well, let's say that someone with those looks would not be with a man like he was unless there was money involved."The innkeeper nodded and shook his head.

Hitomi almost chocked on the air she was breathing.Was this man implying that Millerna was a prostitute?!The thought struck Hitomi as oddly funny in a way.She tried to nod her head in what looked like agreement."It's a shame what the world has come to these days." She said softly trying hard not to laugh at the same time.The man said something under his breath that Hitomi didn't catch but she no longer cared.The innkeeper had in his hand a yellowed envelope."So my good man, what do you have for me there?"

The man smiled at Hitomi in a way that made her shudder."The man told me not to give it to you unless you had the '20 box tops' but I think I'll make an exception for you," he was interrupted by a loud crash as Van burst out of the kitchen with a red head who was smiling broadly."And your lovely son."He added with a sigh of frustration.

"Mom!" Van yelled, still playing the part of the oversized 12 year old."Mom, I'm getting married!!"He pulled the red head close to him and gave her a kiss on the cheek.She giggled and kissed him back.

"Oh no," Hitomi mumbled.She grabbed the envelope from the innkeeper and ran over to Van and his bride."I hate to play the bad guy here but darling, you have a few more years left before you are ready to settle down dear."The red head nodded and waved as Hitomi dragged a struggling Van up the stairs.When they go into the hall, Van stopped and walked along next to Hitomi, his smile splitting his face.

"How did I do?"Van asked when they got to the room.He opened the door for Hitomi and then followed her in.

"A little too well," she said sarcastically."Now I have a better understanding of why you act the way that you do."Van pretended top come after her but she waved the sword in his face and he stopped.The sat down at the table together and began to read the note that Hitomi had gotten away from the innkeeper.

_Go to the fish stand in the market place where the man yells, 'I have the best fish in the world because I am the only man here who catches them himself'.He is lying, just so that you know.The man next to him has better fish but I like this fish seller because he wears a funny looking turban on his head.Be there by 10:00 in the morning and bring everyone with you.Millerna is fine.I just needed to use her to get to Hitomi.Say all of your goodbyes before then, you may not have the chance to later.Signed, the Wizard of OZ._

_P.S~ Toto misses you Dorothy.I think it's about time that you clicked your heels together and went home, don't you?_

_ _

Hitmomi looked up at Van with eyes as wide as golf balls.What did the man mean by the last part?Did this guy know how to get her back to the mystic moon?Van returned her look; he was obviously thinking the same things that she was.

"This could solve all of your problems."Hitomi said quietly, "I would be gone and you wouldn't have to worry about hiding me from them and you all could be free again."Hitomi stood and went to the window.Van followed her and they perched on it together and looked out at the sunset.

"It doesn't matter if you are with us or not Hitomi," Van said slowly, "they will never leave us alone again because they know about our involvement with you."He paused for a while and they sat, taking in the colors that surged across the sky and gave the sun a few more moments of glory for the day."And no matter how far away you are, I will never be free of you."Van said the last part so softly that Hitomi had to strain to hear it.

Their eyes met for a moment and Hitomi's raging heart felt at peace.Then Van stood up."But no matter what happens we need to be rested for tomorrow…whatever happens."He took Hitomi in his arms and held her close to him."Hitomi…" He breathed, "If you do go with this man tomorrow, I want you to know that I love you."He quickly leaned in and kissed Hitomi.She pulled back at first, startled by his action but then she felt the love in her heart rise too and soon she was kissing him back.

When they broke apart, they were both smiling."Van," Hitomi said next to his ear, "I love you too."They kissed again and then agreed that they should go to bed.

Hitomi snuggled under the covers of her bed.She couldn't get Van out of her head.She kept seeing his eyes and feeling the way his lips felt and how his hands felt as they roamed her back when he held her so close.It felt as though he had been searching for something on her, something he needed.She hoped with all her heart that he and been looking for love because he wasn't then he had better find some other girl from the mystic moon to try and lead on.

A warm feeling in her chest told her otherwise.Van was nice enough to know that you don't treat anyone's heart like that.In the bed next to her, Allen bean to snore.Hitomi smile in the dark, it reminded her of her mother.She could snore so loud that it would wake up Hitomi from time to time, and she slept in a room down the hall.

It then hit Hitomi for the first time that she could have the chance to go back to that life tomorrow.The more she thought about it though, the more she didn't really want to go back.Why would she want to leave after all she had been through with Allen and Merle and Van and Millerna?They were like her family now and she would never want to leave them.But what about her real family and all of her friends back on earth, could she just say goodbye forever like that?They didn't even know where she was and so they were bound to be worried sick.And after a year or two they would give up hope and think that she had run away or had died somehow and they just had never found out.How could she do that to her mother when Hitomi was all that she had left in world?

Hitomi fell asleep that night wondering what she should do.Not even her dreams could provide her with an answer this time.It was up to her heart, and it seemed just as confused as the rest of her.


	4. Part 4

Flowers For Hitmomi

Flowers For Hitmomi

By ~ Umi-Chan

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Escaflowne characters or the show or anything used in the show such as weird places and weird names.

PART IV

The next morning cam much too early for Hitomi's liking, she would have liked to have her last night in Gaea to be a little bit longer than the rest seeing as she may never some back.The sun shone as bright as ever into the room, waking Merle up first.She stretched and then went over to Van and woke him up.

"Wake up," she said groggily."I heard you and Hitomi talking last night.I know something important happens today but I didn't hear what."She sat down on the bed and fell asleep again.Van tucked her in and hoped that they wouldn't make the man angry when only Van and Hitomi showed up in the market.Merle was half dead with sleep and Van did not like the idea of taking a knight with a hangover out into public.

"Hitomi," Van gently pushed her arm to wake her up."Wake up, it's the big day and we have to leave for the market soon."The pair sat and stared at each other, memorizing the features of one another's faces in case they would never see each other again."Come on," Van said after a while, "Get out of bed."He stood and went into the other so that Hitomi could get dressed.

She was ready to go in a few moments but she didn't go into the other room.Instead she woke up Allen and said goodbye.The poor knight could barely open his eyes because his eye hurt so badly.Hitomi gave him a gentle kiss on the forehead and he said to write them before he dropped back into the arms of sleep.Merle looked too asleep to ever try and wake up so Hitomi just sat and mentally said her goodbye to her.When Hitomi had gotten her duffel bag together and felt like she was ready to leave forever, she went and got Van.

"I'm ready to go now Van."Hitomi muttered.She didn't want to leave at all but something told her that she had to.The odd thing was thought that another part of her told her to stay because van would need her later on.Hitomi wanted to stay so that she could help Van when he needed it but at the same time, she didn't belong here.She sighed.

Van seemed to read her mind.He laid a hand on her shoulder and looked her strait into the eyes and told her that she was doing the right thing."You managed to get here in the first place."He said to comfort Hitomi as well as himself."I'm sure that you'll find a way back.You always find a way to get what you want."He smiled and pulled Hitomi close.They didn't kiss but the embrace was so full of passion that Hitomi could barely breathe.

"Please remember me and that I love you Hitomi," Van whispered."I love you so much."He squeezed her tight and then let go.His eyes looked so sad that Hitomi almost threw down her bag and declared that she wasn't going.But some little voice in her head told her not to be silly, so she stood still.

"There is no way that I could forget you Van," Hitomi told him."You'll be the first thing on my mind when I wake up in the mornings and the last thing on my mind when I go to bed at night."They smiled at each other, knowing that it was true for both of them.

"Well, we should be going."Van slipped Hitomi's arm through his and lead her down the hall and out of the inn.

The walk to the market seemed shorter to Hitomi, it was as if this world wanted her to be gone, time seemed to be moving so much fast than it had been.Hitomi sighed, she wanted to stay; she had just found out that Van loved her and that she loved him too and now she had to leave for home?It wasn't fair, why couldn't Hitomi have her way for once?No matter what Van said about her always finding a way, it didn't seem like there was once to be found in this situation.

It didn't take them long to find the vendor that the letter had talked about.They stood there with their arms linked waiting for the man to arrive with Millerna.Just as Hitomi thought she'd loose her mind if the fish vendor yelled his line one more time, the pale white man with the red scar turned the corner with Millerna next to him.

It looked like they had stopped to get something to eat along the way.Millerna was smiling and laughing as she walked, it seemed like they were talking and getting on rather nicely.Van and Hitomi exchanged glances, was this man a nice kidnapper or some sort of enchanter that had cast a spell on Millerna to get her to act like this.Did she know what was going on?Did she know that the man had used her to get to Hitomi?

As soon as Millerna spotted the pair, she left the man's side and ran to give Hitomi a hug and then one to Van as well."Where is Allen?"She demanded as soon as she noticed that he wasn't with them.Van and Hitomi glanced at each other again but before they could answer Millerna rushed on."It doesn't matter, I knew that he was lazy anyway.It's just like him to want to wait for me back at the inn."The man caught up at last and stood next to Millerna, a big smile on his face.

Millerna held out her arms and made sweeping gestures with them, "This Fred Smith.A magician from the Mystic Moon who has the power to come and go as he wishes and can take anyone he wants to with him."She stood next to Van as Fred cleared his throat.

"Hitomi, and Van, the reason I took Millerna was so that I could get you to come to me with out any fighting back.I don't handle that kind of stuff very well.I'm so sorry for the sorry I know that I caused you but as Millerna will tell you, I took good care of her."He looked Hitomi in the eye, "I knew that you would manage to get a hold of my instructions with or without the box tops but I wanted you to know that I was from earth and not some crazy guy off of the street who came and kidnapped your princess."Millerna giggled a little but was cut off as the vendor behind them started to yell again.

"Hitomi, I am sure that you have already guessed what why I wanted to find you.I learned that you were trapped here from my little network of spies that cover the planet.I thought that I would offer you my services and if you wish, I will take you back home, free of charge."Fred finally stopped and took in a deep breath.Hitomi had thought of one question and before she had a chance to ask it, Fred answered it.

"I will not bring you back however, so this is your once chance.It is now or maybe never.Think about it deeply and be sure that you want what you choose, you could be spending the rest of your life living with the result."He pause for effect and then continued in his rushed, out of breath voice."Please keep in mind my dear that there are others like me and you may happen to run into some of them but I would not count on it.Be sure pf your decision my dear, I am begging you."

Hitomi looked at Van and knew what she wanted.She wanted to go home and see her family.She stepped forward and told him what she wanted.The look of surprise was shared on all of their faces.Hitomi smiled and knew that she had done what she had wanted and was ready to live with the results for the rest of her life.

*~*

Hitomi's full white skirt billowed out behind her in the country wind.She walked down the isle; the face of her husband to be was smiling at her from what seemed like a million miles away.Her heart soared, as she knew that she could reach him a few steps.Merle and Millerna looked stunning in their low cut white gowns that matched Hitomi's.Merle was crying but trying to hide and Millerna was space out, staring at Allen and remembering her wedding day not all that long ago.

Fred and Allen stood on the other side of Van and both of them looked happy to know that Hitomi was truly happy at last.Van's grin was slitting his face in two and the look of the 12 year old he had pretended to be was creeping back into his eyes._No Van,_ she silently commanded him, _I do not want to play the part of your mother anymore._

The preacher kept it short and in no time the wedding part was standing outside, talking to Fred and waiting for the carriages to come to take them back to the village.

"I'll be sure to send your letter the minute that I get back Hitomi.If I get a reply I'll be sure to find you the next time that I am here so that you can read it."Fred waved and walked over to an empty field across from the chapel.There was a huge ball of light and then an empty field again.

The dull ache in Hitomi's chest had left for good, she knew.Sure, she would miss her home but at least she was with the man that she loved.Hitomi felt even better knowing that her mother would be able to know that Hitomi was safe.Maybe the letter would help to ease some of her worry.

The carriages arrived at last and the balling Merle crawled in with Allen and Millerna in the plain carriage.Van opened the door of the other carriage that had been draped with white fabric for Hitomi and offered her his hand as she struggled into the tight place with her huge dress.Van stuffed in what Hitomi didn't take in with her and then hopped in next to her.

"How about next time I wear the tux and you can wear the dress?"Hitomi grunted as she tried to get her dress to sit on her body comfortably.

Van took her hand and pressed his nose to hers."OK," He whispered.They kissed and hit their heads together as they bounced along the dirt road on their way to a life that ended happily ever after.

~The End~


End file.
